By twenty laps. Beginning with little steps at a time.
Many of you who had covid like me know that after battling the disease, the next thing you have to contend with is long covid. And if you didn’t know, it’s about time you did.
Long covid are post-covid conditions which are long-term effects of the ghastly infection. Extension, so to speak, like overtime to a ball game. Some say they could last for years. I heard from some that their pre-school asthma came back to continue from where it left off. Some allergies became worse. Coughing which started as just a symptom, became frequent and extensive. Other manifestations, too. Like covid brain fog, fatigue and loss of memory. I forgot the others.
In my covid story (read here), coughing was the last to go even if I had already tested negative weeks before. I wasn’t really perturbed by it, in fact expecting it because many of those I knew who had it had the same story. What I was a bit anxious about are the other effects like asthma which I had, too, when I was a kid. And weakened lungs. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let covid defeat me.
A month after freedom —it’s what we refer to the day we got out from quarantine from the infection, I went back to running. I knew it would take extra effort to get back with my body getting used to a newfound state of lethargy. Oh, yes —procrastination, Netflix, and IG reels were the other long covid conditions I had to battle against.
My first run was only 2.5kms, half of my regular run. This was a litmus, so to speak, allowing my body to speak for itself. Getting past the mental roadblock was the first hurdle to overcome. I still remembered my name after the run which only took 10 laps around our ‘hood block.
For the next several runs, I added increments of 500m ’til I reached my usual 5k, twice a week. Slowly but surely, I got back!
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Life is full of challenges. For me, I take on those I know I can conquer. For those I can’t, letting them be may even turn out for thebetter. It takes wisdom to know the difference.
Here’s to making long covid story short —Cheers!
If you’ve been touched, amused, or entertained by this post, or it put a smile on your face, please favor me with a cup of coffee. I will continue writing.
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